21. Sensei

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"Little brat! Your Haki isn't bad! But you're still one step away from breaking into the ranks of the strong!"

The two were locked in a tense stalemate. As Kaido's words dropped, an overwhelming surge of Haki suddenly struck Alex, sending him reeling backward.

"Conqueror's infusion!"

Steadying himself, Alex raised his blade, a smirk on his face.

"Looks like you know about it."

Kaido let out a ferocious grin. "Since you understand that, where do you get the confidence to stand here and challenge me? Wororororo!"

Pitch-black lightning crackled up into the sky as an explosive wave of energy tore through the ground, leaving it cracked and fractured.

Kaido launched forward, his massive, lightning-wrapped kanabo smashing into Alex once again.

—BOOM!—

A tremendous tremor rocked the earth where Alex had just stood, sending soil flying in every direction. After evading by blinking back over ten meters, Alex shook off the impact and raised his hand.

"Tornado!"

The ground around him began to churn and rise, tearing buildings from their foundations and forming a massive whirlwind of earth and debris, each particle charged with the power of Haki. It roared as it surged toward Kaido.

"This is the base I built with my own hands!" Kaido bellowed, leaping into the air and transforming into his colossal azure dragon form. He unleashed a concentrated blast of dragon breath, crashing head-on into the violent sandstorm.

With a thunderous explosion, a massive crater ripped open on the island where the two clashed.

As the thick smoke cleared, the two stood face-to-face, their fierce glares locked on each other. Even the sea itself roiled from the sheer force of their confrontation, casting wild waves across the water.

From a distance, Queen's eyes widened as he took in the sight.

At some point, their base—Onigashima—had risen above the sea, defying gravity entirely.

Amid the din, Queen's shout echoed. "Hey, hey, hey!!! What's going on, King? How is the island floating? There's no giant flame cloud here!"

King, perched in his Pteranodon form, replied, "Kaido-sama is fighting someone. The enemy is none other than the so-called Flying Admiral from the New Era."

"It's that guy… Damn it! If they're going to fight, why do it on Onigashima? That's our base!" Queen fumed.

"Then go and stop it if you can," King responded coldly.

Queen fell silent immediately. They had been observing for a while now, and the fact that this newcomer was able to keep pace with their captain spoke volumes about his power.

And Kaido, obviously fired up, would not take kindly to any interruptions. To step in now… well, that was a surefire way to get himself pummeled.

—BOOM!—

On the trembling Onigashima, Alex smirked, facing off against Kaido.

"You're one of the most infamous monsters of this era, alright. Anyone else would think that wound on you is fake," he remarked, raising his sword, Akazakura, to clash once more.

Zoan-types were known for their incredible resilience, and Kaido, as a Mythical Zoan, had durability that surpassed even most others. His recently applied bandages were in tatters, exposing an X-shaped wound that still seeped blood.

"Oden's wound means nothing to me. Compared to me, you should be worried about yourself!" Kaido roared, charging forward with renewed ferocity.

"You're just a fledgling kid at sea! Do you have the stamina to keep up?!"

Compared to Kaido, whose wounds still bled, Alex was undoubtedly the one feeling the toll of their relentless exchanges. In a pure clash of physical might, the advantage always goes to the one with greater strength, physique, and endurance.

Despite Alex's grueling four-and-a-half-year trial in the Calm Belt, he couldn't yet match Kaido's natural resilience and power. Kaido, now at his peak, was a towering force. But with the development of his Momo-Momo Fruit abilities, Alex wasn't far behind in potential.

With a roar, Kaido unleashed another devastating Thunder Bagua. The sheer force of the attack launched Alex into the air, sending him crashing through multiple buildings, debris scattering everywhere.

"I never said I'd fight you to the death."

Alex stabbed his sword into the ground to steady himself, using it as support. Despite deflecting several blows, his body bore numerous injuries from Kaido's relentless assault.

"Worororo! It's been a thrilling battle! But don't think you can go out of my territory unharmed, even with the Float-Float ability!"

Alex smirked. "If I have the Float-Float Fruit, why do you think I've been taking your hits head-on?"

Kaido's grin faded slightly.

"Sure, I know I need to put up a serious fight to earn the right to face a monster like you," Alex said, locking eyes with Kaido, his gaze brimming with exhilaration. "But this clash has helped me reach new insights into Conqueror's Haki."

"Fighting the strong is absolutely the fastest way to break through a plateau!"

—Sching!—

With his Akazakura in hand, Alex's Armament Haki surged, Emission Haki turning the aura around the blade into a blood-red glow.

—CRACKLE!—

Immediately, Conqueror's Haki burst from his body, invisible red lightning coursing like water around his sword, entwining Red Scabbard with a wild, intense energy.

"You little…! Have you been using me to understand Conqueror's Haki all this time?" Kaido's pupils contracted, then he broke into a wide, gleeful grin. "Wororororo! Now that's entertaining!"

Alex smirked back. "Should I start calling you Sensei, Kaido?"

Kaido's muscles swelled, a monstrous aura emanating as he soared upward, trailing black lightning. With his Hassaikai wrapped in both Armament and Conqueror's Haki, he launched himself straight at Alex.

"Kosanze Ragnaraku!"

"Momo Double!" Alex shouted.

Akazakura instantly expanded to several times its original size. Wielding the now-gigantic blade, Alex swung toward Kaido with immense speed, the air splitting at the sonic impact.

—BOOOOM!—

The collision erupted with a deafening roar, echoing like thunder across the battlefield. A sharp, piercing blast followed as their energies clashed with brutal intensity.

The entire island shook violently. The dark storm clouds above were swept away by the force of their clash, as though invisible hands had torn a colossal rift in the sky, revealing the turbulent heavens beyond.

In that instant, the island of Onigashima was enveloped by the symbolic power of true sea emperors—their Haki tearing through the sky itself, a fierce testament to their overwhelming might.